Rani of Jhansi’s rare letter with her official seal unearthed in MP’s archive

Bhopal: A letter written by Rani Lakshmibai in months leading to the 1857 revolt has been unearthed in Madhya Pradesh's archive. The letter in local Bundeli dialect that carries the Rani of Jhansi's official seal sheds significant light on the diplomacy and planning going on in the months leading to India's first War of Independence. Addressed to Rani Ladai Dulaiya Ju Dev of Tikamgarh, the letter's tone blends strategy with intimacy. Lakshmibai invokes kinship—"you are like an elder sister"—even as she urges unity, cautioning against fractures at a time when the British were exploiting internal fault lines. The region of Bundelkhand (which includes Tikamgarh and Orchha) was characterized by shifting alliances and intense conflicts between local rulers. In essence, the letter urges Dulaiya to continue the fight with troops and cannons, strengthen forces, and hold ground. It warns against "divide and rule" (tako-bato in Bundeli), calls for unity, and presses for wise leadership without internal discord.The document's most striking feature is its seal—an octagonal imprint carrying "Shri" in a distinct Marathi style, a rarity yet to find parallels.Madhya Pradesh archaeology commissioner Madan Kumar Nagargoje said the discovery could prove pivotal. "MP archives may turn out to be the most vital asset to join several missing links of the 1857 revolt. The Gyan Bharat Mission has made it possible to study and digitalise lakhs of documents that hide precious pages of our glorious past," he said.On the seal and the fragile script, he added, "This letter was decoded using advanced archaeological techniques by two veteran archaeologists, and then independently translated by two linguistic experts. The octagonal seal with ‘Shri' in Marathi style is extremely rare—we have not yet found comparable seals." Teams are now cross-referencing Bundeli, French and British records—piecing together the 1857 Revolt that feels less like scattered fragments and more like a deliberate network.